Elde-Numeria
Overview Out of all the kingdoms in the realms, the Kingdom of Elde-Nümeria is among the oldest ones as it is considered to consist of the true remains of the Kingdom of Greater Nümeria, for the Houndhart lineage is still in power in it. In general, the Kingdom of Elde-Nümeria is considered to be the kingdom that best represents what could almost be referred to as the praising of the strict and harsh lifestyles that have dominated the region even before the conception of the written tongue. The Kingdom of Elde-Nümeria is the first kingdom to survive the split of the Kingdom of Greater Nümeria, and it is generally referred to as the “bread basket of the region”, for it has gone through centuries of agricultural refinement as they have harnessed the power of the fertile soil which has lied beneath their castles and towns for millennia. Despite the expansive farms which provide a sense of purpose for many, the underlying imperfections of the kingdom have surfaced as the divides between the lower and higher classes have worsened, as the earlier Houndhartic reforms slowly fade into the past. The kingdom's revenue comes mostly from exporting vast quantities of surplus grain and other forms of produce, but even this source of funds has been endangered now that the relations with the other kingdoms in the realm have become more hostile due to political unease. Both the kingdom's central authorities and the religion in power strictly oppose mages and the practitioners of "arcane arts", for their acts are viewed as unnatural paganistic powers that no man should harness. The harsh lifestyles that have troubled the lower classes for centuries have led to an increase in the power of the kingdom's religious institutions as the people seek for answers and redemption from faith. Social Structure To set the basics of the social structure integrated within Elde-Nümeria, it could at its core be called a four-step hierarchy, dividing different professions and bloodlines to separate castes, which would be named down below in order as: * The Royal Bloodline, which is currently known as the Houndhart bloodline, with the current king on the throne being Henrik Houndhart. It is in the earliest records within the royal libraries stated that the royal bloodline - be it the king himself, his queen, or his first-born - may all rule man of lesser blood, for they have the ultimate say in the matters of the realms and may decide the status of any man, to the point of being able to cleanse the blood of the common-born through adoption or marriage to the bloodline. Despite the strong support for the values of old between the royals, marriage between a lower caste and a royal is no absurd occurrence, as long as said commoner is deemed worthy of royal blood either through heroic deeds, purity and wisdom of mind or mere loyalty to the throne. * The Priesthood, which mostly refers rather vaguely to “people of greater knowledge and wisdom”. People among the caste mostly consist of religious authorities of varying ranks and advisors of state, which range from philosophers to ones that bear more extensive expertise and knowledge in early sciences and philosophies, which includes arch-alchemists and lawmakers. Men of the priesthood are generally living through the strictest codes out of all the castes, with their lives rotating around harsh routines, order and discipline. * The Marketeers, which, once again, more vaguely consists of those that bear both influence and fortune beyond what the average man may possess. These range from businessmen, plantation owners, affluent traders, etc, with the most influential individuals being among those who have the ability and knowledge to trade with foreign powers, bringing in unforeseen objects of value ranging from ornate fabrics, instruments, weapons of war and jewellery crafted with knowledge secretive enough for no man to forge them within the borders of the kingdom. Despite generally having more lavish lives than many men even among the priesthood and the peasantry, merchants are no stranger to discipline from the throne if they are to stray too far towards a life of gluttony and greed. * The Peasantry, which consists of the common people, hold the less glamorous but necessary and important jobs, including smiths, cobblers, charcoal-burners, loggers, etc, with the lowest of the low being those without a home and the most influential men of common blood being soldiers that have made names for themselves through service and loyalty to the throne. The peasantry during the reign of the Houndharts have been treated with more mercy and respect than in the past, with the importance of all men of common blood being more recognized during Henrik’s reign. Whilst men of the peasantry can overcome their poor social standing, it is stated even in the oldest documents that no peasant may bear the throne. Laws Many of the Elde-Nümerian laws have circled for ages around the fundamental principles of ethics and worship, setting forth instructions, prohibitions and traditions regarding idolatry, blasphemy, murder, adultery, theft, dishonesty and coveting. Regardless of this, due to the strictly “preservative” nature of these laws in the realms, no true, universal laws have been set down in parchment for the system still retains the idea that “the laws of the land are to be interpreted, preserved and monitored by the lawmaker”. Lawmakers and their catchpoles are often present in most major locations across the Nümerian lands to make sure that the people are to obey the common sensibilities of the civilized world. Whilst, as mentioned, there is no true script on said laws, the fundamental basics are: * Man, regardless of his status, is to respect those whom have granted him life and whom are closest to his blood. * Man is not to murder other men, for all men are ultimately equal in flesh, blood and in suffering. * Men are not to seek desires in flesh through adultery. * Men are not to take from others what others are not to take from you. Due to the vague nature of the fundamental basics, the individual interpretation of the lawmaker is key, and a lawmaker, with the permission of the local lordship, may even expand upon these fundamental basics if need be. History The first-age chronicles of Velbyr Ulvfödt i Illvelligt (moder. “Wilbur Wolfborn the Well-Willing”), the fourth greater lawmaker of the Proto-Nümerian era (spanning f. 0-121) and the first, northern Nümerian king dates the beginning of the “Greater-Nümerian” era to 130, when the king united the Proto-Nümerian lands under his banner in a series of early, large-scale conquests between 124 and 128, ranging from the siege of mere farmlands to the collapsing of fortresses; reforming the peoples to a single religion and tongue during his lifetime. Whilst much of the ancient chronicles have been turned to ash through later reforms and diplomatic conflicts, the sudden end to the Ulvfödt-dynasty’s end in 255 is blamed on revolt, which led to the massacre of royal blood and the banishing of the “Crownless King” into exile at the hands of the praetorian guard under Lynt “Konqvistär” Houndhart prior to the beginning of the second era, after which “King Lynt” seized the throne. However, the Houndhartic reforms began after the seizing of the throne; throwing the new, young king directly into conflict. He had hardly been able to have his firstborn son as strife and hunger would begin to ravage the cities and countryside. Men, bearing armour and spears crafted from iron would then cross the borders into his lands, demanding them for their own. During decades - if not centuries of ceaseless warfare and inhumane amounts of lives being lost as iron and armour evolved, the only reason as to why the Nümerian throne stood intact would be plague, which would claim the lives of the opposing royal families that stood against it. It has been blamed upon the throne for allegedly abusing the power of witchcraft and wizardry to end the war, but little confirmation has come. As the opposing royal families were set in their crypts and as the wars no longer could redeem themselves as even remotely rewarding when considering the lives lost, both the Houndharts and the opposing kings and queens settled for peace to avoid the loss of life - as well as the risk of uprising from those that had lost more than any man should accept. After said events, sudden peace through marriage between royals and acceptance in silence or in blood, silence would fall upon said kingdoms for the rest of the second age. New towns were built, cities began grasping the concept of architectural beauty and silence would fall upon the populous - be that through stagnation or development under the throne. Albeit the Nümerian throne would survive due to settling for peace, many of their neighbours would begin to stagnate. Many of the brides of Nümerian princes and other lords would see the thrones of their fathers and mothers be brought to ruin, many of which were to never recover again. For the time being, the Nümerian throne would have to remain as one of the few relics to survive the horrid uprisings, famines and ceaseless, inhuman wars that tore others apart. However, despite the many years of peace, the end of the third age would see the collapse of the Greater-Nümerian throne as reforms under the current king - Henrik Houndhart - would see the attempt to strip the lords of much of their power in favour of setting them behind the throne instead of before it. The lords before Henrik would, however, not take this through peaceful means, and they would instead rebel and challenge the throne. Closer to seven eights of all of the lords would step aside from Henrik’s rule and tear apart the lands to claim half for their own in a series of bloody conflicts in a - perhaps meaningless - civil war, splitting the lands forever. The third age, however, would see change upon the Nümerian throne. With the Nümerian lands split in half after the revolt led by the lords that set themselves before the throne instead of standing behind it have called for a peace to allow for royal bickering between the seat of power and said lords. However, that said peace is as brittle as glass, with Henrik’s expansive peasant armies piling up at the borders by the lands of the lords, waiting to face the professional - yet small - armies of the opposition. What is to happen is to be seen and recorded in the future, for the moment of now is uncertain. Culture Much of the Nümerian culture in regards to ideals, festivals and items rotate around the omnipresent “entity” that is labour, thus creating a specific interest in celebrating labour and in the ideals that shape an ideal member of Nümerian society. Therefore, many possessions such as accessories and traditional clothes do rotate around practicality more than they do rotate around what is aesthetically pleasing. Festivals Forefathers’ Eve The forefathers’ eve has been celebrated since the olden days, but not only to celebrate the mere achievements of the generations passed, but to also look back at - and learn from the faults of the past. Looking back at said things might be seen as a bit of a burden for those that might not have “expansive records” of generations passed, but one may take part in the said festivals by visiting the graves of those that they’ve lost in life. Harvest’s Beginning & End As a rather early tradition - perhaps the earliest of all the few Nümerian traditions, rotates around the yearly pattern of the beginnings and the ends of harvests. Whereas the Harvest’s Beginning is more reserved despite the games, food and alcohol that is served to the people taking part in the season’s work, the Harvest’s End is more lavish, with a celebration including copious amounts of food, drink, games and presents being carried on for a period of five days as crops are sold with the “coins of the season” being set in the hands of the labourers. Butcher’s Day In the first days of spring as crops cannot be grown, the butcher is obliged by the law to sacrifice the oldest of the livestock so that they may provide something to eat for the poor during the period. Albeit the butchers themselves may see this as but a burden, the well-being of the poor can mean the well-being of the entire community, for those unfortunate ones may not have to take the dark path to crime and unrest to survive. Although Butchers day is oft centred around the poor, It is not uncommon for the day to be used as a way for communities to gather around a communal feast. Traditional Items & Dress Shepherd’s Dagger The shepherd’s dagger is an item that is - despite the name - a common tool and weapon used by countless craftsmen and labourers under the banner. The rather large and weighty dagger has, however, been shaped by the fact that it has to be able to bite into flesh and wood alike. This necessity to be able to do both came often from the duty of herding livestock - where both predators and mischievous individuals might risk the lives of either the herder or the livestock - with the latter case often being associated with the unfortunate procedure of putting down a suffering animal. Wife’s Knife Whilst the name of the knife is stuck in the time of its original purpose; The Wife’s knife has become a part of tradition among the youth of Nümeria. Knives are often made be it crude or top-notch they all serve the same purpose; to feed and protect. Traditional Clothes The traditional clothes, albeit they lack any true “standard format” aside from shared aspects, tend to be best defined by material and coloration. As colourful fabrics and ornate patterns are nothing short of expensive as experienced craftsmen have mostly migrated to major cities and other large population centres, the colours of said outfits tend to be rather drab and basic - often in the browns, grays and whites. However, as foreign merchants have started to make their ways to the countryside and that the lower-class populous have begun teaching themselves some limited - but still existent skills in more decorative craftsmanship, the more plain “fabric pieces” of old are slowly starting to gather more ornate details to them. However, many of the more celebratory outfits rotate around dominant colours adorned with bands of contrasting colours, plaits, pewter embroidery, tin art and - more often than not - high collars. Much of these details are symbolic, as the colours, patterns and decorations of the outfits can signify a person’s marital status, geographical origin, wealth and “caste”, with more “higher castes” donning more decorative and complicated outfits than the rest. Ideals The ideals that are most present in the culture rotate around the subject of hard work. As many under the throne are bound to spend their lives doing harsh physical labour to provide for themselves and their communities, it is often thought that the ideal Nümerian person - regardless of position, name or blood - is to be a hard-working, humble, righteous and morally unbending citizen, willing to work for what is just and what is best for themselves and the people that surround them. Religion The main religion of Elde-Numeria is Lysterism. Lysterism is one of the oldest remaining active religions of the continent, with a strong base of support within the kingdoms of former Nümeria It has remained in a largely unchanged form ever since “The Four Tables” of the prophet Lyster were written down in the transitional period of the unwritten to the written histories. Economy Much of the markets in towns and cities alike rotate around produce and raw materials. Due to the expenses of craftsman-made goods and luxuries ranging from spices to books, the individual citizen's craftsmanship and mandatory practical know-how have left the economy stale as the demand for refined goods has - arguably - flatlined during wartime. Many of the more experienced craftsmen have chosen to move into the cities, with common “generalists" such as common blacksmiths and carpenters sticking to the countryside where a stable demand for the common necessities remains. Regardless, the markets are rather free, with individuals regardless of bloodline having the chance to seek a fortune through trade if they dare try. However, due to the abundance of food and raw materials due to the fertility of the lands, the value of produce has become rather low, with lower-level competition between woodcutters, charcoal-burners and common farmers being harsh. Army Unlike the rivalling armies held by the lords that stood behind the throne before the splitting of the kingdom, the throne withholds the most expansive - albeit the least individual-centric army in the lands that served - and still do serve - before the Houndharts. To sum it up briefly, the majority of Henrik’s armies revolve around the combined use of cavalry, spear-wielding infantry and accurate crossbowmen with a defense focused doctrine. To make sure that there will always be an able army standing behind the throne, both the equipment and the doctrine utilized by the ranks revolve around ease of use so that men may be summoned to bear arms without intolerable individual expenses in regards to training, especially when a spear can be just as, if not more efficient in the hands of a levy as a sword may be in the hands of an enemy man at arms. The armies under Henrik can generally be summed up and divided into “four classes” in regards to purpose: * The Infantry serving in the armies primarily consist of levies and common men at arms, with a lesser focus on “elite units” as the weapons they use - spears with- or without shields and standalone polearms - do not require intolerable amounts of training for them to be wielded with efficiency in battle. Albeit much of the lesser trained infantry focus on brute force and agility in terms of how they use their weapons against their foes, individuals further up the rank may be far more skilled and efficient at tackling cavalry and heavy infantry alike through further coordinated team strategies and the usage of brain instead of brawn. * The Marksmen serving in great numbers alongside the infantry with crossbows at hand are undeniably an expensive investment in regards to equipment, but they may make up for the costs through accuracy and sheer stopping power. Albeit mere bows are easy to craft, crossbows are far easier to use, making it easier for beginners at the craft to hit their marks with the crossbows they are given. * The Cavalry serving as a minority generally consists of the infantry that have risen high enough through the ranks to be equals with the kingdom's gentry, meaning that ultimately none of the generally armour-clad cavalrymen have any form of shortage of experience in battle. Regardless, however, the vast majority of the cavalrymen consist of light cavalry, whereas the heavy cavalry is generally considered to be the “mere tip of the spearhead”. Most of said cavalrymen on the heavier side consist of men-at-arms, whereas the light cavalry could be considered the middle class of the military. * The Clergy serving in the army are a more ambiguous, yet an important lot. Much of the clergy that accompanies armies during campaigns - despite being capable of battle during hopeless circumstances - exists to perform necessary ceremonies at the beginnings and the ends of battle, an example being the burial of the dead, regardless of the side. They are also responsible for the healing of the sick, but they fundamentally act as the “watchdogs of the church”, making sure that no acts of unnecessary brutality or desecration of the dead is to be performed on campaigns. Therefore, the clergy is also permitted to hand out direct punishment over acts of malevolence, ranging from mere fines to imprisonment - with the worst cases of moral and order-related corruption being rid of through death sentences. The clergy is special in the sense that they are not obliged to bow down to even a Greater Knight, for the clergy bears divine authority on behalf of the church. The ranks of the armies - regardless of branch - tend to follow a general order. The ranks, ranging from the least to the most power is: * The common levies, that have been summoned to battle if manpower is needed. Levies tend to be poorly trained, but “training through war” can rather easily leave many of the surviving levies capable of wielding arms. The levies generally consist of common peasants, ranging from mere poor scofflaws to merchants. Due to their lower ranks, they tend to serve with less equipment, consisting of common fabric armour and helmets, with added components such as jack-chains and demi-gauntlets at later phases of their service lives. * The Sergeants, who tend to consist of those who decided after service as mere levies decided to voluntarily stick to warfare. Many of the sergeants tend to have less variety in regards to origin, for many of them have perhaps had nothing to return to back home, either through loss of life or mere poverty. Many of said soldiers, however, are experienced in conflict and weathered enough to withstand the stress and trauma that is inevitably involved in bloodshed. Being more experienced, they tend to bear more metal in their armour, including chainmail, jack-chains and other more minor plated components. * The Lesser Knights tend to consist of the harsher veterans that have reached a hard-to-advance point in their careers despite the options granted, for a lesser knight has the choice between remaining on foot, bearing a lance or striving for a position as a training and strategy-centric “Master of Battle”. Many of the lesser knights, however, are bound to what they understand, with many staying as an armour-clad footman until retirement, with the bare minority striving for the offense focused and risk-filled career in heavy cavalry or the challenges of change and innovation. Due to the rank they bear, lesser knights tend to bear heavier, plated armour in combat on the front lines of battle, willing to take the hardest blows out of all the infantry at hand. * The Masters of Battle are ones that have ambitiously strove for a role as a trainer and an innovator in arms, armour and technique, therefore being in what could be an extremely critical role in these turbulent times of advancement. Their general routines revolve less around bloodshed than around teaching levies and men-at-arms alike the life-savingly important fundamentals for the challenges in warfare, be that a bold cavalry charge crashing into your section in the line, or the tackling of an armour-clad enemy seeking to spill your blood on the grass beneath your feet. Due to their “transitional” position, they generally do not bear any more armour or equipment than lesser knights, but they are obliged to study new forms and designs in said fields. As a transitional rank between a lesser- and a greater knight, one's service as a master of battle can range from a single decade to a lifetime, for the latter status may only be granted by the throne. * The Greater Knights are the last step in the hierarchy, with the power to function as Marshals. The greater knights are not direct combat-centric due to their irreplaceable and lifelong positions as members of the “King's Circle”. However, if one is to partake in combat despite likely old age as “the king's gilded pawns”, they may serve in the most expensive armour and arms that the throne can grant - often ornate with heraldry, shining in sun- and moonlight alike. However, the throne generally discourages taking such risks, as the strategic know-how of the knights is necessary when leading and organising campaigns, as they are permitted and obliged to raise and manage their own individual armies, which are to serve under the Marshal. * The Marshal is the title of ultimate power that a Greater Knight can bear if it is granted to them by the throne. The title grants ultimate power over all in the military, regardless of bloodline. Formerly a rank exclusive only to the King, Henrik, due to old age, has handed the permit to lead the armies of the throne to those most loyal to him in blood and status. Regardless of the throne no longer bearing the role, the King bears all the power in the lands, for the King bows to no man. The Marshal's role, however, is largely temporary, as the role can be stripped and given to a Greater Knight by the throne with no questions asked if need be.